About The Netherlands

Tulip fields, windmills, wooden shoes and plenty of cheese. Also lots of people for its small surface area: over 17 million inhabitants on 41,528 km². Oddly enough, there are even more bikes: 20 million. The Dutch are known as open-minded, tolerant and friendly. A long tradition of trading and seafaring has made them fluent in languages.

Experts in water managementWhat else springs to mind when you think of the Netherlands? Oh yes, it is a flat country with a lot of water and wind, bridges, dykes and polders, windmills. The Dutch are the ones who conquered land from the sea and made it their own. This centuries-long struggle with the sea has made them experts in water management.

Studying in a strong economyBeing a nation of merchants and traders, the Dutch have always looked beyond their own borders and are to be found all over the world. This has led to a strong economy, now ranked the fifth most competitive economy in the world and the third economy of Europe (Global Competitiveness Report 2015-2016). The Dutch are excellent hosts and we are sure you will feel very welcome with us. You might even be able to find a student job even if you do not speak Dutch.